Into its sixth year of running, Taipei LGBT Pride Parade is making its impact felt in Asia with the largest turnout of 15,000 last year. Fridae's Taipei correspondent Jason Tan talks to the organisers of this year's parade and finds out if there would be any surprises awaiting the community.
Read article by Jason Tan at http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2301&viewarticle=1
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Border agency accused of "illegal" deportation of gay Ugandan
A gay man has been removed from the UK and deported back to his native Uganda in what his supporters call an illegal act.
John "Bosco" Nyombi, 38, was due to be deported last week. He fears he will be persecuted on the grounds of his sexuality.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, and gays caught by the police can face a life sentence in prison.
Read more at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9044.html
Brazil's Lula Shows Support for Same-Sex Unions
Post found on: Towleroad
Quoting the AP:
"President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says that in Brazil, "there are men living with men, and women living with women" who 'build a good life together.' But a proposed law that would give all same-sex couples rights equal to those enjoyed by married heterosexuals has been stalled in Brazil's Congress for more than a decade. Silva said in an interview aired late Wednesday night by the government-run TV Brasil that politicians who oppose same-sex unions and yet seek the votes of gay men and women during elections are 'hypocrites.'"
Quoting the AP:
"President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says that in Brazil, "there are men living with men, and women living with women" who 'build a good life together.' But a proposed law that would give all same-sex couples rights equal to those enjoyed by married heterosexuals has been stalled in Brazil's Congress for more than a decade. Silva said in an interview aired late Wednesday night by the government-run TV Brasil that politicians who oppose same-sex unions and yet seek the votes of gay men and women during elections are 'hypocrites.'"
Saturday, September 20, 2008
In Conservative Nepal, a Tribune for the ‘Third Gender’ Speaks Out
Sunil Babu Pant takes every opportunity to convince his fellow parliamentarians that homosexuals are like any other people.
To read more, visit NYTimes.com:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/world/asia/20pant.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y&oref=slogin
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Uganda LGBTI HIV/AIDS Activists Acquitted of Trespass Charges
*15th August 2008: Uganda LGBTI HIV/AIDS Activists Acquitted of Trespass Charges*
Today 15th August 2008 at Buganda road court before grade I magistrate Olive Kanyange Mukwaya and a fully packed court room that included LGBTI activists from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and around the world.
The prosecution told court that the Director of Public Prosecution – DPP has dropped the charges of trespass against Pepe Juliana Onziema, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya.
The magistrate court therefore dismissed the charges against the three and acquitted them.
It was a moment of joy and happiness for the LGBTI community of Uganda who were flocked by the media out side the court room.
Background:
On 4th June 2008 , three Human Rights Defenders were arrested during the just concluded HIV/AIDS Implementers meeting in Kampala. They were objecting to the exclusion of Sexual Minorities from the HIV/AIDS Prevention programmes in the country.
After two days and nights of detention in police cells, the three: Pepe Julian Onziema, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya were charged with Criminal Trespass, a charge that carries a one year jail term according to section 302 of the Penal Code of Uganda. They were released on bail on the 6th of June 2008. They appeared in court for several hearings, today court acquitted them of the above charges.
SMUG and the entire LGBTI community of Uganda would like to express our gratitude to you all for the love and support.
Thank you,
Frank Mugisha
Human Rights Defender
Co-Chairperson
Sexual Minorities Uganda – SMUG
P.O. Box 70208, Clock Tower
Kampala – Uganda.
Tel: +256 312 294 859
Cell: +256 772 616 062
Email:fmugisha@sexualminoritiesuganda.org
www.sexualminoritiesuganda.org
"Justice and equality".
Today 15th August 2008 at Buganda road court before grade I magistrate Olive Kanyange Mukwaya and a fully packed court room that included LGBTI activists from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and around the world.
The prosecution told court that the Director of Public Prosecution – DPP has dropped the charges of trespass against Pepe Juliana Onziema, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya.
The magistrate court therefore dismissed the charges against the three and acquitted them.
It was a moment of joy and happiness for the LGBTI community of Uganda who were flocked by the media out side the court room.
Background:
On 4th June 2008 , three Human Rights Defenders were arrested during the just concluded HIV/AIDS Implementers meeting in Kampala. They were objecting to the exclusion of Sexual Minorities from the HIV/AIDS Prevention programmes in the country.
After two days and nights of detention in police cells, the three: Pepe Julian Onziema, Valentine Kalende and Usaam Mukwaya were charged with Criminal Trespass, a charge that carries a one year jail term according to section 302 of the Penal Code of Uganda. They were released on bail on the 6th of June 2008. They appeared in court for several hearings, today court acquitted them of the above charges.
SMUG and the entire LGBTI community of Uganda would like to express our gratitude to you all for the love and support.
Thank you,
Frank Mugisha
Human Rights Defender
Co-Chairperson
Sexual Minorities Uganda – SMUG
P.O. Box 70208, Clock Tower
Kampala – Uganda.
Tel: +256 312 294 859
Cell: +256 772 616 062
Email:fmugisha@sexualminoritiesuganda.org
www.sexualminoritiesuganda.org
"Justice and equality".
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
International Conference Announcement
*ANNOUNCEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE RIGHTS AND REALITIES IN PROMOTING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS*
Dear colleague,
Are you struggling with implementing sexual and reproductive health and rights projects using a Rights Based Approach? Do you sometimes feel squeezed in between international rights and local realities? Do you wonder how we can truly hold people accountable for protecting and safeguarding rights? Then you should attend our conference!
World Population Foundation (WPF) and Youth Incentives (YI), international programme on sexuality of the Rutgers Nisso Groep, are proud to inform you on our upcoming two-day "International Conference on Rights and Realities in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights" on 10 and 11 November 2008 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Please see the attached announcement for more information on the objectives, background and organizers of the conference.
Formal invitation and registration will be sent in the coming months but please already make a reservation in your agenda!
Warm regards,
Yvonne Bogaarts
Senior Advocacy Officer
World Population Foundation
the Netherlands
www.wpf.org
Marijke Priester
Head of Youth Incentives - International Programme on Sexuality
Rutgers Nisso Groep
the Netherlands
www.youthincentives.org
Dear colleague,
Are you struggling with implementing sexual and reproductive health and rights projects using a Rights Based Approach? Do you sometimes feel squeezed in between international rights and local realities? Do you wonder how we can truly hold people accountable for protecting and safeguarding rights? Then you should attend our conference!
World Population Foundation (WPF) and Youth Incentives (YI), international programme on sexuality of the Rutgers Nisso Groep, are proud to inform you on our upcoming two-day "International Conference on Rights and Realities in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights" on 10 and 11 November 2008 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Please see the attached announcement for more information on the objectives, background and organizers of the conference.
Formal invitation and registration will be sent in the coming months but please already make a reservation in your agenda!
Warm regards,
Yvonne Bogaarts
Senior Advocacy Officer
World Population Foundation
the Netherlands
www.wpf.org
Marijke Priester
Head of Youth Incentives - International Programme on Sexuality
Rutgers Nisso Groep
the Netherlands
www.youthincentives.org
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Uganda: LGBT Arrested at International HIV/AIDS Meeting
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806051051.html
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (New York)
PRESS RELEASE5 June 2008Posted to the web 5 June 2008
Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today condemned the arrests of three Ugandan LGBT activists and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The three -- Onziema Patience, (an FTM transgender, 28), Valentine Kalende (female, age 27) and Auf (male, age 26) -- were arrested yesterday morning by the Uganda Police Force at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda.
Along with other LGBT and HIV and AIDS activists, they were peacefully protesting statements made by a Ugandan government official that no funds would be directed toward HIV programs targeting men who have sex with men. SMUG and IGLHRC have fears for the safety of the three activists.
On 2 May, 2008, Kihumuro Apuuli, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, stated that, "gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time." The SMUG activists staged a peaceful protest at the HIV Implementers meeting to protest the Minister's statements and gross neglect on the part of the Ugandan government in responding to a growing HIV epidemic among the country's LGBT community. They were arrested and detained at the Jinja Road Police Station immediately after taking the stage at the meeting, distributing leaflets and holding up small placards demanding attention to HIV vulnerability among LGBT.
"Today I realized how dangerous it is for us LGBTI people to express our constitutional rights," said Frank Mugisha, Co-Chairperson of SMUG. "I am worried about my comrades who are in police custody."
According to a recent report by the University of Nairobi and the Population Council, gay men in neighboring Kenya have a sero prevalence rate of 26%. Twenty-six years since the beginning of the epidemic, Uganda hasn't implemented a single program to prevent transmission of HIV among men who have sex with men in the East African nation.
"The remarks made by the head of the AIDS Commission were very disturbing to members of the LGBT community," said Kasha Jacqueline, Chairperson of Freedom and Roam Uganda, a lesbian organization in Uganda. "If they want us to die, let them ask themselves if they wish themselves the same. Excluding us is just going to make the situation worse."
The HIV Implementer's Meeting is an annual event described as an opportunity for HIV program implementers to share lessons learned and best practices in the scale-up of HIV/AIDS programs. It is co-sponsored by the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), UNAIDS, the World Bank, the Global Fund, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+). IGLHRC is also requesting that the co-sponsors of the Implementers' Meeting contact the Ugandan Government to demand the release of these activists.
"Gay men and lesbians are not 'drivers of disease'," said Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of IGLHRC. "Homophobia drives HIV. Silence drives HIV."
In November 2004, the Ugandan government fined a local broadcaster, Radio Simba for airing a program that discussed anti-gay discrimination and the need for HIV/AIDS services for lesbians and gay men. The government claimed that Radio Simba had violated federal law promoting broadcasting that is contrary to "public morality."
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (New York)
PRESS RELEASE5 June 2008Posted to the web 5 June 2008
Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today condemned the arrests of three Ugandan LGBT activists and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The three -- Onziema Patience, (an FTM transgender, 28), Valentine Kalende (female, age 27) and Auf (male, age 26) -- were arrested yesterday morning by the Uganda Police Force at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda.
Along with other LGBT and HIV and AIDS activists, they were peacefully protesting statements made by a Ugandan government official that no funds would be directed toward HIV programs targeting men who have sex with men. SMUG and IGLHRC have fears for the safety of the three activists.
On 2 May, 2008, Kihumuro Apuuli, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, stated that, "gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time." The SMUG activists staged a peaceful protest at the HIV Implementers meeting to protest the Minister's statements and gross neglect on the part of the Ugandan government in responding to a growing HIV epidemic among the country's LGBT community. They were arrested and detained at the Jinja Road Police Station immediately after taking the stage at the meeting, distributing leaflets and holding up small placards demanding attention to HIV vulnerability among LGBT.
"Today I realized how dangerous it is for us LGBTI people to express our constitutional rights," said Frank Mugisha, Co-Chairperson of SMUG. "I am worried about my comrades who are in police custody."
According to a recent report by the University of Nairobi and the Population Council, gay men in neighboring Kenya have a sero prevalence rate of 26%. Twenty-six years since the beginning of the epidemic, Uganda hasn't implemented a single program to prevent transmission of HIV among men who have sex with men in the East African nation.
"The remarks made by the head of the AIDS Commission were very disturbing to members of the LGBT community," said Kasha Jacqueline, Chairperson of Freedom and Roam Uganda, a lesbian organization in Uganda. "If they want us to die, let them ask themselves if they wish themselves the same. Excluding us is just going to make the situation worse."
The HIV Implementer's Meeting is an annual event described as an opportunity for HIV program implementers to share lessons learned and best practices in the scale-up of HIV/AIDS programs. It is co-sponsored by the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), UNAIDS, the World Bank, the Global Fund, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+). IGLHRC is also requesting that the co-sponsors of the Implementers' Meeting contact the Ugandan Government to demand the release of these activists.
"Gay men and lesbians are not 'drivers of disease'," said Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of IGLHRC. "Homophobia drives HIV. Silence drives HIV."
In November 2004, the Ugandan government fined a local broadcaster, Radio Simba for airing a program that discussed anti-gay discrimination and the need for HIV/AIDS services for lesbians and gay men. The government claimed that Radio Simba had violated federal law promoting broadcasting that is contrary to "public morality."
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